Precision inflation control device

• US 7,331,221 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert W. Wise
• Original Assignee: Robert W. Wise
• Inventors: Gao, Shawn, Wise, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J.
• Application Number:
  US11/353,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20070186636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 137/225, 152/416, 731/46, 731/463
• US Class Current: 73/146.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/046 using electrical or electronical means

Abstract

A method and apparatus to regulate the inflation of objects. To start inflation, the apparatus couples a fluid source to the object via a plenum. Concurrent with inflation, the apparatus substantially continuously measures pressure within the plenum using a sensor sufficiently proximate the object such that pressure measured by the sensor is substantially similar to pressure within the object. When measured pressure exceeds a target pressure by a prescribed margin, the apparatus stops inflating. While inflation is stopped, the apparatus reads pressure measured by the sensor and deflates the object as needed to reduce measured pressure to the target pressure.

Claims

1. A computer-driven portable apparatus for establishing tire pressure, comprising:

a conduit including a tire-side coupling and compressor-side coupling, the compressor-side coupling comprising a universal quick disconnect fitting compatible with ⅜

inch pneumatic hose;

an electrically activated inflation valve connected to the conduit to selectively start and stop fluid flow between the couplings;

an electrically activated exhaust valve connected to the conduit to selectively exhaust fluid from the conduit;

a pressure sensor positioned in the conduit sufficiently proximate the tire-side coupling such that pressure measured by the sensor is substantially similar to pressure of a tire alone when coupled to the tire-side coupling;

a controller programmed to regulate inflation of a tire coupled to the tire-side coupling, comprising operations of;

starting tire inflation by operating the inflation valve to permit air flow between the couplings;

during substantially continuous inflation, substantially continuously reading pressure measured by the sensor;

when measured pressure exceeds a target pressure by a prescribed margin ceasing inflation by operating the inflation valve to stop air flow between the couplings;

while air flow between the coupling is stopped, reading pressure measured by the sensor while operating the exhaust valve as needed to reduce measured pressure to the target pressure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing enclosing the conduit, inflation valve, pressure sensor, and controller;

where the housing includes a body attached to a substantially perpendicular grip extending at an angle from the body;

where the tire side coupling is positioned at the body opposite the grip;

where the compressor-side coupling is positioned at the grip opposite the body.

18. The apparatus of claims 1 or 3 or 4, where the pressure sensor is configured to provide the controller with a computer-readable output of measured pressure.

3. A computer-driven portable apparatus for establishing, tire pressure, comprising:

an air compressor machine;

a conduit including a compressor-side coupling attached to the compressor machine, the conduit also including a tire-side coupling;

an electrically activated inflation valve connected to the conduit to selectively start and stop fluid flow between the couplings;

an electrically activated exhaust valve connected to the conduit to selectively exhaust fluid from the conduit;

a pressure sensor positioned in the plenum sufficiently proximate the tire-side coupling such that pressure measured by the sensor is substantially similar to pressure of an inflatable tire alone when coupled to the tire-side coupling;

a controller programmed to regulate inflation of an inflatable tire coupled to the tire-side coupling, comprising operations of;

starting tire inflation by operating the inflation valve to permit air flow between the couplings;

during substantially continuous inflation, substantially continuously reading pressure measured by the sensor;

when measured pressure exceeds a target pressure by a prescribed margin, ceasing inflation by operating the inflation valve to stop air flow between the couplings;

while air flow between the couplings is ceased, reading pressure measured by the sensor while operating the exhaust valve as needed to reduce measured pressure to the target pressure.

4. A computer-driven portable apparatus for establishing pressure in an inflatable object, comprising:

a compressor-side coupling and an object-side coupling interconnected by a plenum;

a remotely operated inflation valve connected to the plenum to selectively start and stop fluid flow between the couplings;

a remotely operated exhaust valve connected to the plenum to selectively exhaust fluid from the plenum;

a pressure sensor configured to sense plenum pressure at a site sufficiently proximate the object-side coupling such that pressure measured by the sensor is substantially similar to pressure within an object when coupled to the object-side coupling;

a controller programmed to regulate inflation of an object coupled to the object-side coupling, comprising operations of;

starting object inflation by operating the inflation valve to permit fluid flow between the couplings;

during substantially continuous inflation, substantially continuously reading pressure measured by the sensor;

when measured pressure exceeds a target pressure by a prescribed margin, ceasing inflation by operating the inflation valve to disable fluid flow between the couplings;

while fluid flow is disabled between the couplings, reading pressure measured by the sensor while operating the exhaust valve as needed to reduce measured pressure to the target pressure.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, where:

the apparatus further includes a temperature sensor configured to sense fluid temperature within the plenum;

the controller is programmed to perform further operations comprising reading temperature measured by the temperature sensor;

the operation of reading pressure measured by the sensor further includes adjusting said pressure to compensate for temperature output by the temperature sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, where the controller is programmed to receive input of the target pressure by performing operations comprising:

responsive to a user activated event occurring at a time, establishing the target pressure as being pressure measured by the pressure sensor at the time;

where the event comprises user activation of a hand control.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, where the controller is programmed to perform further operations comprising receiving specification of the target pressure by user input of the target pressure via user interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, where the controller is programmed perform operations comprising:

receiving user input designating one or more pre-programmed inflation settings;

indexing the designated inflation settings against a record of inflation setting dependent output pressures to determine the target pressure.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, where the inflation settings include one or more of:

season of year, front versus rear tire, vehicle model, vehicle profile.

10. A method for regulating inflation of an object, comprising:

starting object inflation by coupling a fluid source to the object via a plenum;

concurrent with inflation, substantially continuously measuring pressure within the plenum using a sensor sufficiently proximate the object such that pressure measured by the sensor is substantially similar to pressure within the object;

when measured pressure exceeds a target pressure by a prescribed margin, stopping inflation by stopping fluid flow between the fluid source and the object;

while fluid flow between the fluid source and the object is stopped, reading pressure measured by the sensor and deflating the object as needed to reduce measured pressure to the target pressure.

11. The method of claim 10, where:

the operations further comprise measuring temperature within the plenum;

each operation of measuring pressure further includes adjusting measured pressure to compensate for the measured temperature.

12. The method of claim 10, the operations further comprising receiving the target pressure, comprising:

responsive to a user activated event occurring at a time, establishing the target pressure as being pressure measured by the pressure sensor at the time;

where the event comprises user activation of a hand control.

13. The method of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

receiving specification of the target pressure by user input of the target pressure via user interface.

14. The method of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

receiving specification of the target pressure in the form of user input of the target pressure via user interface.

15. The method of claim 10, the operations further comprising:

receiving user input designating one or more pre-programmed inflation settings;

indexing the designated inflation settings against a record of inflation setting dependent, output pressures to determine the target pressure.

16. The method of claim 15, where:

the inflation settings include one or more of;

season of year, front versus rear tire, vehicle model, user-defined profile.

17. A computer-driven portable apparatus for establishing pressure in an inflatable object, comprising:

a compressor-side coupling and an object-side coupling interconnected by a plenum;

a computer operated inflation valve connected to the plenum to selectively start and stop fluid flow between the couplings;

a computer operated exhaust valve connected to the plenum to selectively exhaust fluid from the plenum;

a pressure sensor configured to sense plenum pressure at a site sufficiently proximate the object-side coupling such that pressure measured by the sensor is substantially similar to pressure within an object when coupled to the object-side coupling, and to provide a machine-readable output of the sensed plenum pressure;

a computer programmed to regulate inflation of an object coupled to the object-side coupling, comprising operations of;

starting object inflation by directing the inflation valve to permit fluid flow between the couplings;

during substantially continuous inflation, substantially continuously monitoring the output of the sensed plenum pressure from the pressure sensor;

when the output of sensed plenum pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure by a prescribed margin, ceasing inflation by directing the inflation valve to disable fluid flow between the couplings;

while fluid flow is disabled between the couplings, monitoring the output of the sensed plenum pressure from the pressure sensor while operating the exhaust valve as needed to reduce sensed plenum pressure to the predetermined pressure.

19. A method for regulating inflation of an object, comprising steps of:

a step of starting object inflation by coupling a fluid source to the object via a plenum;

a step of, concurrent with inflation, substantially continuously measuring pressure within the plenum using a sensor sufficiently proximate the object such that pressure measured by the sensor is substantially similar to pressure within the object;

a step of, when measured pressure exceeds a target pressure by a prescribed margin, stopping inflation by stopping fluid flow between the fluid source and the object;

a step of, while fluid flow between the fluid source and the object is stopped, reading pressure measured by the sensor and deflating the object as needed to reduce measured pressure to the target pressure.